Strathyre

A very young me, at that time a secondman at Eastfield, left hand using the dual train brake (in vacuum mode) on 27034 in the summer of 1980 working the 0806hrs Glasgow Queen St- Oban. The second photo is her at Oban ready to work back to Glasgow with my driver Gil McFarlane (left) and Queen St guard Gus MacInnes (who recently retired as a driver). Oh for a time machine... Paul

...and a bit farther along the line, at Bowling basin, a discarded Caledonian Railway shunting capstan...

A Caledonian finial still in position near the old Clydebank Riverside station site...

Charlie, I've been trying to contact you concerning an order, can you get in touch please? Paul

Charlie, could you check your messages please? Paul

There were two runaways involving 40s back in the 70s. In at least one of the incidents the brake blocks had been changed but not adequately adjusted to work properly, barely touching the tyres. They provided enough friction to stop the loco at the shed exit signal but that was about it. This is a link to the one I am referring to, an image taken on the day Paul https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10228113396563864&set=gm.5907772982641558&idorvanity=1295041497248086&paipv=0&eav=AfY27rDya94d1zlkNeM7eHwwBII8QZ_DCUMFq17Ms7HgJuBP_dR3GhDxHkzeAoGFGyo&_rdr

I can very much confirm that! At Eastfield we had to chock them when disposing of them as the parking brake was utterly hopeless, and the loco air brakes were pretty grim too. We had a couple of bad runaways down Cowlairs incline with 40s when they had their brakes poorly adjusted after a block change on shed. The first thing you did when coming off the shed and heading for Queen St was to do a good brake test on full throttle, a practice which was reinforced after these runaways as the drivers concerned had either forgotten or not done a strong enough check. Paul

The only time the banker was coupled was when the train was to run via Springburn, and thus ran into Eastfield loop where the leading loco was uncoupled and the train continued with what had been the banker at its head - this normally happened on Sundays when there was a possession on the E&G. The bankers otherwise routinely ran uncoupled but relied on the train engine driver not applying power until the banker had the train well under way. Occasionally some nervous drivers opened up too early and the train pulled away from the banker. In these circumstances the banker driver was under clear instructions to stop immediately and then proceed slowly to the next stop signal when the train was well clear. Banking a train up the incline was a pretty exiting manoeuvre for the crew, believe me!

They were only used as a last resort when there wasn't a type 2, normally a 27, available. They just gave problems, with the nose leading into Queen St judging the stopping point before hitting the buffers, or when cab leading into Queen St (which was fine for avoiding the buffers!) with banking out to Cowlairs, which the pilot engine almost always did. Banking engines were not coupled onto the back of the train, as that would've meant stopping at the head of the incline to tie off and would cost time as a result. I never worked a 20 on the pilot myself but would've expected the crew to tie it on to the back of the train if banking out with the bonnet leading, for the sake of safety. Paul

the signal will only ever have shown one of two aspects, red or yellow - the red is obvious but the yellow denotes a proceed aspect as far as the next stop signal, and an empty platform, which is effectively the red lamp on the buffer end. It will never have had a green aspect. The signal will either have originally been two aspect only (red or yellow) or a three aspect with the green permanently blanked off, probably because they had a spare 3 aspect signal and used it as it was practical and handy. The position light signal showing a proceed aspect while the main signal shows red, with theatre box display, indicates an occupied platform ahead. Paul

60818 was working a Stirling-Callander and return working when she was photographed that day by Stuart Sellar. Steam working over the line west f Callander had stopped in 1962. There was at least one other V2 used thus to Callander, I will look for the number and get back to you. It seems that Stirling wasn't slow to use loco's on layovers between turns from the south for Callander-Buchanan St locals - 46248 City of Leeds was noted as working one in the railway press, although it was seen at Buchanan St so it's possible it only worked from Stirling and hadn't worked it all the way from Callander although it was reported as having done so. Royal Scots were also reported on that train so anything could have been possible. Paul

100% certain that's Kipps shed - the houses in the background are on Alexander St, Coatbridge. That would make it almost certain that the railcar is Clydesdale.

a BG and a passenger coach, sometimes two

the 0100hrs Oban was a throwback to the night mail that ran from Stirling for decades and served Oban and the stations on the line through Callander with the Royal Mail. It continued to run until around August 1980 when the WHL was closed on the nightshift. It crossed with the freight from Oban at Crianlarich. Eastfield crewed it to Crianlarich then returned with the goods. There was a Glasgow-Oban goods at 0350hrs that was worked by Eastfield men normally as far as Taynuilt (although as far as I recall they were booked to take it to Dalmally) where they waited for the first passenger from Oban, swapping with the Oban crew and taking it to Glasgow. If the goods had tanks for Connel Ferry the Eastfield crew only worked it to Taynuilt; if no tanks they would frequently take it into Oban then take the passenger back, earning mileage payment for reaching Oban. As an Eastfield secondman I frequently worked these trains. I am not sure but I expect the passenger carriages from the 0100hrs Oban mail returned on the first passenger from Oban Paul

excuse my ignorance bit what's the Sharpie pen method? Never managed to satisfactorily remove numbers from Helena paint jobs! Thanks Paul

the 26s were the same - operated at the opposite end, whereas the 27s operated at that end! English Electrics (37/20) always operated at the opposite end although I can't remember is the 40s did - too long ago! I think they did though.

When I worked at Eastfield in the late 70s none of the locos had a single switch that operated both tail lights simultaneously - the rules required only one to be lit at a time (with one notable exception...) and it was very rare to see both on All the locos I worked on (08, 20, 25, 26, 27, 37) had a switch for each tail light. Only the 47 differed in having a two position throw switch that operated one or the other, as shown in the photo. This actually caused a problem when they introduced class 47/7s on the E&G as the exception mentioned earlier was the E&G push-pulls, where the requirement was for both tail lams to be switched on, easy to do on a 27. Unfortunately the 47/7s couldn't do this and, until they were rewired, the loco, when trailing (almost always from Edinburgh to Glasgow, thanks to another wee rule concerning Cowlairs Tunnel), had to have an oil tail lamp on the lamp iron as well as the (one) electric tail light switch on. Hope this helps Paul

is green the correct colour for the locos?

thanks guys. I intend to model it as 77206, a photograph of which is in existence of it on the West Highland Line in 1944. You can't really see the cab side numbers as the loco looks filthy but the buffer beam number is pretty much visible and looks about the same dimension-wise as the ones on the Bachmann loco Thanks Paul

I have a War Department green Bachmann WD 2-8-0, with yellow War Department cab side and buffer beam numbers which I wish to renumber. I can't seem to locate any replacements, can anyone suggest anything that might do? Thanks Paul

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/icm-148-heinkel-he-111h-3/

thanks guys

Does anyone happen to know where I could obtain, or even commission, decals for a Nu-Cast Sentinel railcar? Thanks Paul

I managed to get one online today, it apparently has full instructions. If so I'll happily send a copy when it arrives Paul

Hi Stephen, I think you're right. Just need to get some way of recreating the lettering now! Thanks Paul